


Of Shadows and Ruins

by rubylily



Category: Atelier Ryza Series (Video Games)
Genre: Adventure, Gen, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26224753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubylily/pseuds/rubylily
Summary: Ryza and Klaudia explore a ruined manor.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 4
Collections: Press Start VI





	Of Shadows and Ruins

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tokumei108](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tokumei108/gifts).



"Whoa, look at those ruins!" Ryza exclaimed, casting her gaze at the valley below, where ruins were bountiful, and what caught her attention most was what looked like a grand manor among the crumbling stone.

Klaudia let out a gentle laugh. "There's also a village not too far from here. My father and I have visited a few times."

Ryza grinned widely. "Then let's get exploring!"

The two of them followed a faint trail heading into the depths of the valley. A year had passed since that summer adventure with her friends, and now Ryza had left Kurken Island for the mainland and followed the path of Klaudia's merchant caravan. Soon enough and much to Ryza's delight, they were reunited, and after discussing things with Klaudia's father, she and Ryza had set out on their own adventure, just the two of them.

Ryza and Klaudia stepped carefully, and a somber silence fell over them as they came closer to the stone ruins scattered about the valley. There were no creatures about, not even weasels or punis, and crumbling stone littered the ground as far as they eye could see. Ryza touched a worn pillar, and the stone was cool against her hand. "Hey, Klaudia," she said, breaking the silence. "Did you learn anything more about the Klint Kingdom after you left the island?"

"I tried to learn more, but there isn't much information left," Klaudia replied. "If anything, scholars were more interested in what I had learned on Kurken Island."

"Then there might be more people like Empel and Lila heading there now." A smirk tugged at Ryza's lips. "Too bad I can't be there to see everyone's reactions to outsiders suddenly being interested in our little island."

Klaudia's smile was soft. "I think it's a good thing for your village to open up more."

As they spoke, Ryza and Klaudia examined the stone structures, and many appeared as if they had once been part of some kind of fortress or fortification. Ryza was grateful to finally have someone else to talk to during her explorations, and even better that it was her dear companion Klaudia. For the past year they had exchanged letters, but words on a page were no substitute for Klaudia in the flesh, and with Klaudia by her side, Ryza's adventure felt like it had begun anew.

Movement in the distance caught Ryza's eye, and she noticed another group of explorers in the far distance. "I wonder who those people are," she mused.

"Perhaps adventurers like ourselves," Klaudia said, her gaze following Ryza's. "But they're too far to call out to."

Ryza laughed as she put her hand on her hip. "Well, maybe our paths will cross soon if we keep exploring."

Soon the two girls came to their destination: the ruined stone building about the size of a manor. The left side was almost entirely caved in, and the outside walls were covered in wild ivy. From above the valley, this building had stood out, and Ryza and Klaudia had also seen a courtyard in the center, which interested Ryza the most. "What a strange place for a manor," she said as she stepped closer to the entrance, and the doors were already opened. "There isn't much else here."

"It might have been meant as some kind of secret base," Klaudia replied as she came beside Ryza. "This valley is rather secluded."

Ryza tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hm, could be. Then we might find some real interesting treasure here!"

They stepped over the threshold and into the manor, and immediately the scent of dust filled Ryza's nose and she nearly sneezed. Dust was no surprise when exploring ruins, she knew, but she doubted she would ever be used to just how much dust could accumulate in abandoned places like these. The entrance hall wasn't particularly large, and furniture was sparse. Ryza took a step forward, being careful not to kick up any dust, and something shiny caught her eye.

"What did you find?" Klaudia asked as she followed Ryza to a small table.

Carefully Ryza examined the glass bottles; there was no liquid inside any of them, but a sweet and familiar scent lingered. "I know this smell. I've used similar herbs in my alchemy." She touched the satchel at her hip. "And I was just thinking about all the plants I could gather from this valley to synthesize."

Klaudia clapped her hands together. "This might be an alchemy lab!"

"Maybe there are books left too…" Ryza said as a large grin crept to her lips. "Now I'm really excited!"

But as she and Klaudia explored, while they found other discarded alchemy tools, they came across no books. One room looked as if it had once been a library, but all the wooden shelves were picked clean. Eventually Ryza began to grow discouraged; this wasn't the first time an exploration had yielded nothing, but it still stung.

"Well, I suppose it can't be helped," Klaudia said as she and Ryza passed the cloister leading into the courtyard. "People from the nearby village probably found all the books long before we ever had a chance."

"I know, but still…" Ryza pouted, turning her gaze toward the courtyard outside. A strange statue stood in the center, and she couldn't quite figure what creature it was supposed to represent, as it was nearly spherical. She and Klaudia stepped onto the grass, and suddenly a sound like crying filled her ears.

"Ryza, get down!" Klaudia exclaimed.

"Huh…?" Before Ryza could blink, Klaudia had knocked her out of the way of a lunging, snarling weasel. Klaudia quickly knocked an arrow in her bow and shot at the weasel. It yelped as the arrow grazed its leg, and it scampered away and out of sight.

Klaudia offered her hand to the fallen Ryza. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah," Ryza answered as she accepted Klaudia's hand and got to her feet. Klaudia had taken to using a bow on their journey, and she was a frighteningly good shot. "Thanks, Klaudia."

A warm smile came upon Klaudia's lips. "I'm glad to hear that."

Dusting herself off, Ryza approached the statue, and up close it didn't look strange at all. In fact, it almost looked like a puni, with the same silly smile the slime creatures usually wore. Ryza chuckled to herself; appreciation for the ever-common puni wasn't something she'd expected from the Klint Kingdom. She circled the base of the statue, and again she heard that crying noise, and so distracted was she that she nearly fell into a hidden cellar.

Klaudia seized Ryza's arm to steady her. "Stairs?" Klaudia said, raising an eyebrow.

"A secret passage!" Ryza exclaimed. "And hidden under a statue - that's like straight out of an adventure novel! But…"

Klaudia studied Ryza carefully. "But…?"

Ryza knelt to examine the dirt disturbed by the statue's movement. "The statue was moved recently, and I keep hearing something strange, like someone crying."

"It could be another explorer." Klaudia peered into the cellar. "But it's pitch-black down there. If there was someone else, wouldn't we see some kind of light?"

"Well, only one way to find out." Ryza took out a lantern and lit a small fire inside. "Stay close to me, okay?"

Klaudia only nodded as she followed Ryza down the stairs into the mysterious cellar.

The passageway was longer than Ryza expected, but her heart still fluttered with excitement. Even if someone else was ahead of them, just the idea of a fun cliché like a cellar hidden underneath a statue being real was enough for Ryza. If this manor had belonged to an alchemist, then maybe this was the path to a secret alchemy lab, and thus maybe this was where all the alchemy books were hidden! At that thought, Ryza couldn't help but shiver in anticipation.

But the longer she and Klaudia walked, the more a subdued air fell over them.

Ryza touched the wall, examining what looked like scorch marks. Of course, she remembered the sins of the Klint Kingdom alchemists and how they had brought about their own downfall through their lust for power. Alchemy was powerful, she knew, but it could also corrupt and destroy, and she had promised Empel and Lila that she would never abuse alchemy the way the alchemists of the fallen kingdom had. No matter how excited she was about discovering more of alchemy, she couldn't forget the great responsibility she had been trusted with.

Klaudia's hand brushed against Ryza's. "What kind of experiments do you think were conducted here?"

"Nothing good, probably." Ryza let out a weak laugh. "Empel said some alchemist can be fiercely protective of their experiments, but given everything we've learned about the Klint Kingdom…"

"Then we might find some dangerous knowledge here. Is that what you're seeking?"

Ryza flashed a reassuring smile at Klaudia. "I can't learn from their mistakes if I don't know what those mistakes were."

Finally they reached the end of the passageway, stepping into a larger room, but Ryza's heart sank. As she expected, this had been an alchemy lab with shelves filled with books and familiar tools, but most had been burned beyond saving and a layer of dust and ash covered everything. A sigh escaped from Ryza's lips; an experiment had likely gone wrong, sparking a fire, but much to her relief, she saw no charred corpses.

And neither she nor Klaudia were alone in this forgotten lab.

The sounds of crying were much clearer now, and huddled in a dark corner was a scared little girl. Ryza and Klaudia rushed over to the little girl, and Klaudia spoke first. "Are you all right?" she asked as she and Ryza knelt beside the girl.

The little girl, probably no older than eight or nine, stared at Ryza and Klaudia with tear-soaked eyes, and she let out a loud wail as she threw her arms around them. "There, there," Ryza said as she patted the girl's hair. "There's nothing to be scared of anymore. We'll take you home, we promise."

Eventually the girl calmed enough to explain what had happened. A group of older children from the village had dared her to enter this ruined manor, and while in the courtyard, a frenzied weasel had charged toward her. In a panic, she accidentally activated the statue's movement mechanism, and she fled into the darkness to escape the weasel. But because it was so dark, she hadn't been able to find her way out again.

"That group outside must be looking for her," Klaudia said to Ryza as she took the little girl's hand into hers. Ryza held the little girl's other hand while her free hand still held the burning lantern, and together the three of them left the ruined alchemy lab.

Evening had fallen by the time they left the manor, and by then the group from earlier was much closer. There was much crying and rejoicing when the little girl was reunited with her mother, and the search group invited Ryza and Klaudia to their village nearby, so they accompanied the group as the sun continued to set.

As the little girl's mother was also the village innkeeper, Ryza and Klaudia were offered a free room for the night, which they eagerly accepted. While Ryza especially had grown fond of sleeping under the stars, she wasn't about to say no to the gift of a soft bed either.

Yet once night actually fell, Ryza found she couldn't sleep, so she headed out to the balcony - she and Klaudia had been given the most luxurious room in the inn - and she stared at the starry sky above. No matter how from she traveled from her home on Kurken Island, the stars were always the same, and that familiarity brought her some small sense of comfort. Wherever they went - her, Klaudia, Lent, Tao, Bos, Lila, and Empel - they shared the same sun and stars.

"Ryza?" Klaudia called out as she came beside Ryza. "You couldn't sleep either?"

Ryza shook her head. "Guess I'm still feeling a little restless after all that excitement earlier."

Klaudia pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. "So you're not disappointed we didn't find much?"

"We helped reunite a family, so I'd say that's a good accomplishment!" Ryza laughed as she let her fingers curl around the stone railing of the balcony. "And besides, tomorrow we can return to that valley to gather some herbs too."

A soft chuckle slipped from Klaudia's lips. "The stars are really beautiful tonight as well."

Ryza stared at the night sky, trying to recognize the constellations among the stars. "When we're exploring, it's always nice to find something new, but even if we don't, it's not so bad. Just being able to travel like this is a dream come true."

"That's what I like about you, Ryza," Klaudia said as she laid her hand over Ryza's. "Wherever your adventure takes you, I'll be with you."

"Thanks, Klaudia." Ryza grinned widely as she and Klaudia drew closer together in the chill night air, sharing the gentle starlight.


End file.
